Switch clip



June "17; 1924. 1,498,091

B. E. GETCHELL SWITCH CLIP Filed Oct. 8, 1925 (Flip, of which thefollowing is a specifi- Patented June 17, 1924.

rrso STATE 1,498,091 PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN E. GETCHELL, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRUM-BULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF .PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SWITCH CLIP.

Application filed October 8, 1923. Serial No. 667,143.

T 0 d7] 'w-lzom it may COW/067%..

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN E. GeronnLL, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Plainville, Connecticut, have invented a new anduseful Switch cation.

My invention relates toswitch clips and is particularly intended 'to beused with small switches where the circuits are frequently changed, asin radio and experimental use.

The main object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, ruggedswitch clip embodying means for quickly connecting a conductor theretowithout the aid of a screw driver or other tools and for firmly holdingthe conductor in good. electrical contact with the switch clip. andwhich permits equally easy and rapid disconnection of the conductor.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a switch having a clip embodying myinvention.

F ig. 2 is a perspective of the clip at tachedto an insulating base,certain parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through the switch clip shownin the preceding figures.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one form of spring member to hold aconductor against the clip.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a modification,

and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the clip shown in Fig. 5.

In Figure 1 I have shown a conventional switch having an insulating base1 to which is secured a movable contact support or hearing clip 2. Asuitable movable contact such as a knife blade 3 is pivotally supportedon the bearing clip 2 as by a tubular rivet l. A- fixed contact 5 issecured to the base in position to receive the knife blade 3 when incircuit closing position.

The fixed contacts or clips may be of any desired type which comprise abase portion 6 adapted to be secured to the base as by the usual screw 7and one or more jaws 8 arranged to make good electrical contact with themovable contact 3, but preferably I employ the usual one piece clip asshown.

Preferably the clip will be shaped to provide an angular conductorreceiving portion or notch 9 which is'formed in the present instance bythe junction of the sloping sides 10 of the clip. The opposite sides ofthe clip below the jaws are secured together as by the screw 11 or by arivet.

In order to firmly maintain a. conductor such as 12 in good electricalcontact with the notch 9 I provide a spring member 13 which consists ofa base portion 14 adapted to be secured in a close fitting recess in thebase land between the base 6 of the clip and the switch base 1 and whichhas a movable spring portion 15 arranged to hold the conductor in thenotch. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, this spring member is apiece of spring wire having an eye at each end, the eye on the base 14.

entirely closes the wire receiving notch when no wire. is connected tothe clip (see left hand clip in Fig. 1). To connect a wire, the eye atthe free end of the spring member is pressed down moving the portion 15far enough out of the notch to permit the insertion of a wire. Thespring member is then released and forces the inserted wire intointimate contact with the side portions of the clip forming the wireretaining notch. Obviously, the wire is firmly gripped and a goodelectrical contact made with the clip.

In some cases it may be "desirable to position the spring member atright angles to the position shown and described, in which case, thewire would be passed through the slots 16 in the sides of the clip to beheld in place by an upward pressure from the spring member.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 I use a wide spring member-13made from strip stock and aving its movable portion slotted to. passover the terminal clip. The screw 7 passes through the base portion 14'of the spring member and into engagement with the jaw member '8 and thusanchors both the clip and spring member in operative position as in-struction also the spring member normally extends above the notch, itbeing shown in Fig. 5 in the compressed position ready to receive awire. In this modification also it may at times be desirable to positionthe spring member at right angles to the position shown in which case itwill be necessary to slot the sides of the clip so as to provide apassage for a wire which would be forced against the upper ends of theslots between opposite sides 17 of the movable portion of the springmember.

Other inversions of parts and changes in details may be made without inany manner departing from the spilt of my invention as defined by theclaims.

I claim:

1. In combination a switch clip comprising a base adapted to be securedtoq a sup port and jaws adapted to receive a movable switch contact,said jaws being secured together to form a conductor receiving notch,and a spring member having a base adapted to be secured between the clipbase and its support and having a movable portion to hold a conductor insaid notch.

2. In combination a switch clip having contact receiving jaws and a wirereceiving notch portion, and a spring member having a portion movable tohold a wire in said notch portion, one of said portions being slottedand the other portion extending throu h said slot.

3. switch terminal comprising jaws having a wire seating recess formedbetween them and a spring member for securing a conducting wire in saidrecess.

4. In a construction of the character described an insulating support, aswitch member having a base and jaws, a screw for securing said base tosaid support, said jaws having a wire receiving recess formed betweenthem and a spring member secured to said supportand passing through saidjaws to detachably engage a wire located in said recess.

5. In a construction of the character described a support. switch jawshaving a wire receiving recess formed between them. a spring member fordetachably securing a conductor in said recess and a screw for securingsaid spring member and said jaws to said support.

6. A switch terminal comprising jaw members each having a conductorsupport ing shoulder and a spring member for holding a conductor againstsaid shoulders.

7. A switch clip having a base portion and a contact portion, awire-retaining shoulder intermediate said portions and spring meansco-acting with said shoulder to detachably secure a conducting wire inengagement with said shoulder.

18. A switch clip having a base portion and a contact clip portion witha transverse slot intermediate said portions, a wire-retaining shoulderadjacent one end of said slot and spring means in said slot todetachably secure a conducting wire in engagement with said shoulder.

9. A switch clipliaving a base portion and a contact portion, awire-retaining shoulder intermediate said portions. a spring fordetachably securing a conducting wire in engagement with said shoulder.said spring being provided with a finger-engaging portion for releasingsaid conducting wire. 1

10. A switch clip having complementary side plate members, said membersbeing formed to provide a wire-retaining shoulder between them andspring means co-acting with said shoulders to detachably secureaconducting wirein engagement therewith.

BENJKMIN E. GETCHELL.

